Lithium attached electrodes and method of making same

Abstract

A method for fabricating an electrode includes: determining a thickness of an active layer; selecting lithium (Li) foil having a specified thickness; determining widths of one or more Li strips based on an active layer to Li layer weight ratio or volume ratio; laminating the active layer onto a conductive substrate; forming one or more grooves in the active layer exposing a bare surface of the conductive substrate; and pressing the one or more Li strips into the one or more grooves, wherein widths of the one or more grooves are slightly larger than the widths of the Li strips.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lithium (Li) attached electrode, comprising:
 a conductive substrate; 
 an active layer disposed on the conductive substrate; 
 one or more grooves formed in the active layer exposing a bare surface of the conductive substrate; and 
 one or more Li strips disposed in the one or more grooves on the exposed bare surface of the conductive substrate, 
 wherein the thickness of the one or more Li strips is greater than the thickness of the active layer such that the one or more Li strips protrude from the one or more grooves, 
 wherein the one or more Li strips have a length approximately equal to a length of the active layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more grooves in the active layer are disposed at various positions on the electrode including at an end of the active layer. 
     
     
       3. The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the one or more Li strips is equal to or less than double the thickness of the active layer. 
     
     
       4. The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more Li strips are oriented parallel to a length of the active layer. 
     
     
       5. The electrode of  claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the active layer to the one or more Li strips is in a range of 5:1 to 15:1. 
     
     
       6. The electrode of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a conductive binder layer laminated onto the conductive substrate prior to laminating the active layer, 
 wherein the one or more grooves are formed in the active layer and the conductive binder layer exposing the bare surface of the conductive substrate. 
 
     
     
       7. A method for fabricating an electrode, the method comprising:
 determining a thickness of an active layer; 
 selecting lithium (Li) foil having a specified thickness; 
 determining lengths of one or more Li stripes based on a length of the active layer; 
 calculating width of the one or more Li strips from an active layer to Li layer weight ratio or volume ratio; 
 laminating the active layer onto a conductive substrate; 
 forming one or more grooves in the active layer exposing a bare surface of the conductive substrate; and 
 pressing the one or more Li strips having the determined lengths and calculated widths into the grooves such that the one or more Li strips protrudes from the one or more grooves. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the one or more grooves in the active layer are disposed at various positions on the electrode including at an end of the active layer. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the specified thickness of the Li foil is at least equal to or greater than the thickness of the active layer. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lengths of the one or more Li strips have are approximately equal to the length of the active layer. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more Li strips are oriented parallel to the length of the active layer. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , wherein said active layer to Li layer weight ratio or volume ratio comprises a weight ratio in a range of 5:1 to 15:1. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 laminating a conductive binder layer onto the conductive substrate prior to laminating the active layer, and 
 wherein the forming one or more grooves comprises forming one or more grooves in the active layer and the conductive binder layer exposing the bare surface of the conductive substrate. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the specified thickness of the Li foil is equal to or less than double the thickness of the active layer. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the specified thickness of the Li foil is greater than the thickness of the active layer.